Tag Archives: Senator barack Obama

Bobby Kennedy Jr. is taking part in this year’s New York mega summit for the Clinton Global Initiative. Founded by former President Bill Clinton in 2005, the foundation is a non-partisan catalyst for action that brings together a community of global leaders from various backgrounds to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

Working Session 5: Local Leadership explores the emergence around the world of leadership from the ground up regarding climate change. From mayors to governors to civic groups to developers, local leaders are not waiting for national governments to act. These efforts are already delivering substantial emissions reductions and promise more progress for years to come. With roughly half the world’s population living in urban areas and the urban population expected to grow by more than 500 million people in the decades ahead, these programs are critical to the fight against global warming. This session will explore innovative ways that local leaders in all sectors can improve quality of life while combating climate change.

After suspending his presidential campaign on Wednesday to devote all his time and energy to solving the country’s financial crisis (pissing off David Letterman in the process with a last-minute cancellation), senator John McCain somehow miraculously managed to slip away from Washington to address the conference in person. Whether or not he will find the time in his busy schedule to actually attend tonight’s first presidential debate at Ol’ Miss in Oxford, Mississippi, still remains to be seen.

Senator Barack Obama also addressed the Clinton Global Initiative on Thursday via satellite, then headed back to Washington to join senator McCain at a special White House “leadership” meeting (whatever that means) with President Bush (wait a minute…this is a “leadership” meeting? Run that by me again?) called to address the Wall St. bailout plan.

Well, it’s nice to hear all of our elected ahem, leaders are having such a wonderful time in Manhattan and D.C. this week, but meanwhile…Rome is burning…and all we can hear is the sound of a fiddle playing.

Editor’s note: The good people over at Ralph Nader’s campaign humbly asked us to remind you that Mr. Nader IS running for President of the United States (although you probably won’t see him in the big corporate debate this Friday night.) and that he needs your help now. This Thursday, September 25, is a National Day of Action to Open the Debates, and we’re totally, 100% down with that idea.

While this blog endorses no candidate in the 2008 race, we do believe in free and open speech and that legitimate independent and third-party candidates should have the opportunity to have their voices heard in all of the nationally-televised presidential debates. So we post this action alert from the Nader campaign and encourage our readers to take part in the National Day of Action this Thursday, no matter which candidate they plan to vote for. This isn’t about left and right — it’s about right and wrong.

If you’re a Democrat or a Republican, a Green, a Libertarian, or an independent, I’m sure you would agree that this is an issue of the utmost importance, that we should have fair and inclusive debates during the most critical election season of our lifetimes.

If these candidates are excluded from the debates, who will speak for the thirty percent of registered voters who consider themselves independents? What about those voters who are still undecided?

Let’s hear what Nader, Barr and McKinney have to say. What harm could there be in giving them a forum?

If you share our belief that these debates should be fair and open, then please take action right away. Below are detailed instructions on how to contact the “Powers That Be.” Do it and give `em hell!

Here are five ways you can take action on Thursday to
Open the Debates:

Write letters to the editor, to the corporations and organizations sponsoring the CPD debates, to the debate moderators and broadcast organizations, and to your friends and family members. Watch this space for links to writing samples you can use for your campaign.

The debate schedule and moderators’ contact information is listed below.

Crank up a budding petition effort started earlier this month at www.thepetitionsite.com, with the ambitious goal of gathering 100,000 signatures for the inclusion of Ralph Nader and Bob Barr in the debates.

Print posters, fliers and literature to pass out and hang up at college campuses and other high traffic areas, and banners to display to morning and evening rush hour traffic. You’ll find links to downloadable materials at http://votenader.org/debates. Once again, check back often for additions to the collection.

Protest outside the Democratic and Republican headquarters in your community, at corporations that sponsor the debates, at radio stations, newspapers and media outlets not covering Ralph Nader, Bob Barr, Cynthia McKinney, and other third party candidates.

As a voter who is still undecided in the 2008 election, I ask that you allow all legitimate independent and third-party candidates take part in the upcoming presidential debates. I want to hear what Ralph Nader,Bob Barr, and Cynthia McKinney have to say.

Our process is supposed to be free and open, and it is my firm belief that all of these candidates should have the opportunity to be heard in a nationally-televised debate.

There are more than two candidates running for president, more than two political parties in this country. Please serve the American voter and include ALL of the candidates in these debates!

(Call Barack Obama at 866-675-2008.
Hit 6 to speak with a campaign volunteer.
Once connected, politely tell them you would like to see Senator Obama fight for the right of independent and third party candidates to be included in the debates. Ask the volunteer to leave a message with the campaign manager. Same basic procedure when contacting the McCain campaign, info below:)

Ok, we made this part up. Unfortunately, Rove was not arrested Friday. But the rest of the story is all true!

* Editor’s note: You can’t make this stuff up, folks. You just can’t.

Karl Rove, the politico considered a mastermind of the Bush White House, broke down the upcoming presidential election Friday during the Sacramento Metro Chamber’s annual speakers forum, but wouldn’t predict the winner.

“It’s a very close race. The advantage should be to Obama,” Rove said during a follow-up interview. “The fact that he’s not way ahead means this is going to be a very close election with a lot of twists and turns, and anybody who tells you they know how it’s going to turn out is fooling themselves.”

The Chamber’s “Perspectives 2008″ event at the Sacramento Convention Center drew more than 2,500 people, including scores of business leaders and elected officials from around the region.

In an interview with The Sacramento Bee after his speech, Rove talked about Republican vice presidential candidate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

“She’s had an extraordinary impact. The number of people enthusiastic about voting for McCain doubled. We have rarely seen a vice presidential candidate have such a visceral relationship develop so quickly with the American people.”

Later in the program, Kennedy urged the audience to embrace clean forms of energy.

Investing in wind, solar and other alternative energy sources would be good for the American economy, Kennedy said. He said major upgrades are needed to the nation’s energy grid and to how the energy market is run.

“Good environmental policy is good economic policy,” Kennedy said. “There is no bigger advocate for a free market economy than I am.”

Rove got a “warm” welcome outside the hall from thousands of protesters, who had come from as far away as San Francisco to call for his immediate arrest.

For his crimes against humanity, the environment and the U.S. Constitution, Karl Rove should be in jail, not invited to speak at the Sacramento Convention Center. The Chamber of Commerce describes its annual “Perspectives” event “as a day of stimulating dialogue and provocative banter.”

However, inviting Karl Rove to speak at this event would be like inviting Pol Pot, Hitler or Efrain Rios Montt, the engineer of the Mayan genocide in Guatemala during the 1980s, to the convention center!

“The door opens at 8:30 AM and the event starts at 10:00 AM,” according to an action alert from Sacramento for Democracy. “Let’s greet the attendees as they go in with lots of colorful signs describing how we feel about ‘Bush’s Brain.’ Since Rove ignores Congress’ requests, maybe we can come up with a little surprise for him.”

“Robert F. Kennedy, Jr will be there to talk about environmental issues, so you can bring a pro RFK, Jr sign if you have one. Deepak Chopra will be there, as well as the hilarious comedian Frank Caliendo,” the action alert added.

This weekend may stir some memories for our California readers: Robert Kennedy championed the United Farm Workers' cause back in 1968.

BOBBY AND HILLARY AT UFW CONVENTION THIS WEEKEND

U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton and Robert Kennedy Jr. will speak in Fresno this weekend at the United Farm Workers of America’s 18th Constitutional Convention.

Kennedy will speak on behalf of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Fresno Convention Center.

On Sunday, Clinton will address the convention at 2 p.m. The convention will focus on the union’s campaign for the AgJobs bill, a bi-partisan measure that would allow undocumented workers to earn legal status in the United States. Obama and Clinton are co-authors of the legislative measure negotiated between the UFW and the agriculture industry.

Former Assembly speaker Fabian Núñez, author of the UFW-sponsored bill, will premiere “California’s Harvest of Shame,” a 20-minute documentary he produced in the Central Valley. The film focuses on the failure to enforce state laws and regulations that protect farmworkers. For more information, go to www.ufw.org

Bobby then heads for Denver, where a special tribute to his ailing uncle, Senator Edward Kennedy, is planned for Monday night. Senator Clinton will headline the convention speakers Tuesday night.